1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates, in general, to hand tools such as garden hoes and the like, and more specifically to such hand tools that can be attached to a water supply.
2. Description of the Related Art
A preliminary patentability search has been conducted in class 111, subclass 7.1; class 239, subclasses 532 and 754, and class 172, subclasses 371 and 375.
Postel, U.S. Pat. No. 1,264,556, issued Apr. 30, 1918, discloses a garden tool in which a hollow pipe is attached to a T-shaped grubbing or cultivating head to act as a handle and to allow a water hose to be coupled to the head. The head is provided with a needle valve and a discharge port for allowing water from the water hose to be discharged against the back of the blade of the head and be deflected from the end of the blade. An anchoring pin is attached to the head.
Glasgow, U.S. Pat. No. 1,408,584, issued Mar. 7, 1922, discloses a mixing tool including a hoe head having a blade and a hollow tang; including a tubular handle having a closed end for being attached to the hollow tang of the hoe head and having an opened end for being attached to a water supply hose through a coupling; and including a sprinkler element having a pipe for being attached to the tubular handle in communication with the interior thereof, having a pair of nozzles attached to the pipe for allowing a stream of water to be directed downwardly on each side of the tang of the hoe head and against the back surface of the blade of the hoe head, and having a valve for allowing the user of the mixing tool to control the passage of water through the sprinkler element.
Cypert, U.S. Pat. No. 1,525,571, issued Feb. 10, 1925, discloses a spading fork having a plurality of tines connected horizontally by a cross member. A section of pipe or water conduit is secured to the cross member. Nozzles are formed at spaced intervals on the bottom side of the pipe so that water from within the pipe will be directed downwardly between the tines. One end of the pipe is closed while the other end is provided with a coupling member for allowing a garden hose to be attached thereto. A valve is provided at the coupling member to allow the user of the spading fork to control the flow of water from the pipe.
Latham, U.S. Pat. No. 2,181,189, issued Nov. 28, 1939, discloses a cultivating fork including a long tubular shaft which is bent at one end to form a handle. The handle terminates in a coupling for allowing a water supply hose to be attached thereto. The opposite end of the shaft is flattened to from a rectangular nozzle. A fork body is welded to the flattened end of the shaft in a manner so that the nozzle will direct water over the face of the fork body and away from the user of the fork.
Morasch, U.S. Pat. No. 3,143,984, issued Aug. 11, 1964, discloses a garden tool including a tubular body having a connection at one end for allowing a water supply hose to be connected thereto through a hand operated valve, and including a hoe head for being attached to the other end of the tubular body. The hoe head includes a flat blade welded to a tee pipe which is attached to the tubular body and which has a plurality of apertures on each side of the blade through which water can be directed against both sides of the blade.
Weir, U.S. Pat. No. 3,326,306, issued Jun. 20, 1967, discloses an apparatus for drilling a hole in the ground utilizing the flow of water. The apparatus includes an elongated hollow shaft; a handle at the upper end of the shaft for permitting the user of the apparatus to rotate the shaft; fluid supply means connected to the passage in the hollow shaft at a point below the handle for allowing a garden hose to be attached to the apparatus to direct water out the lower end of the shaft.; and a blade having a point and sharp edges attached to the lower end of the shaft.
Miller, U.S. Pat. No. 4,254,717, issued Mar. 10, 1981, discloses an irrigation implement including a hollow red having a curved upper end for forming a handle and having a tapered lower end with a discharge opening at the lower end, a pair of flanges extending beyond the lower end, and connection means on the upper end for allowing a garden hose to be connected thereto.
None of the above identified patents or prior art discloses or suggests the present invention. More specifically, none of the above identified patents or prior art discloses or suggests a hand tool including valve means for attachment to a water supply, the valve means having an opened position for allowing water from the water supply to flow therethrough and having a closed position for preventing water from the water supply from flowing therethrough; a blade having a first side and a second side and having an aperture extending between the first and second sides; a handle having a cavity extending completely therethrough, having a first end for attachment to the valve means so that water flowing through the valve means will flow through the cavity of the handle, and having a second end for attachment to the second side of the blade with the cavity of the handle in communication with the aperture through the blade so that water flowing through the cavity of the handle will flow through the aperture in the blade; and baffle means for attachment to the first side of the blade and for deflecting water flowing through the aperture in the blade.